Media testimonials

The Independent

PRAISE THE SABBATH: NOW BIRMINGHAM SHOWS ITS METAL, CHRIS BEANLAND

Every day tens of thousands of commuters hurry past a telling statue in Birmingham’s main square. Antony Gormley’s Iron Man perfectly expresses the culture of Brum. The city, like its underappreciated icon, is off-kilter. It was this intangible sense of the other, of being different despite being the bullseye of Britain, that meant Birmingham could give birth to strange new sounds and trends. The most famous of them was heavy metal.”

The People

YUMMY BRUMMIE, COLIN PACKHAM

As a middle-aged Londoner on my first visit to Brum, I was expecting it to look ramshackled and industrial. But I was so wrong. The well-designed streets were stunningly clean and adorned with sophisticated chic restaurants, bars, shops and galleries..."

Do Not Disturb Magazine

WHY GO TO VENICE WHEN YOU CAN GO TO BIRMINGHAM, IAN BELCHER

Birmingham and romance? Not the most likely union. I was sent to investigate the potential for amour in the second city and found it exists in the extraordinary industrial history and recent dynamic regeneration of areas close to the centre. It's there on the canals, in the Victorian galleries, imaginative bars and in the energy of the streets around the Jewellery Quarter and Custard Factory. Brum has fought hard to throw off a negative image and really is worth a fresh look. It provided one of the best long weekends I've had in a very long time.”

Red Magazine

BIRMINGHAM TRAVEL GUIDE, LAURA DIXON

In recent years Birmingham has changed almost beyond recognition. New buildings like the Cube and the lace-clad wedding cake-lookalike Library of Birmingham are adding glamour to the skyline, and with canalside bars and floating cafes around Brindleyplace adding a bit of pretty to the city, it’s far from stuck in its industrial past.”

The Nationalist

REJUVENATED BIRMINGHAM IS SUCH A PLEASANT SURPRISE, JEDDY WALSH

Whether you are a first-time visitor to the City of Birmingham or returning after many years, Birmingham in 2012 comes as a very pleasant surprise. Today it is a modern city with great pride and ambition, a cosmopolitan centre driven by a forward-looking city council, appreciative of its rich history and all that goes with it, and determined to make the West Midlands capital one of the top most liveable cities in the world within 20 years."

Sydney Morning Herald

WATERFRONT RENAISSANCE, STEVE MCKENNA

Kissing couples, businessmen with BlackBerrys, punkish students and Muslim women in headscarves idle in the shadow of civic buildings as grand and elegant as any I've seen in England…. For years the country's ugly duckling, Birmingham is gradually shaking off its reputation as a drab metropolis that sprawls across the Midlands”

Itchy City Guide

ITCHY’S SHORT BREAK IN BIRMINGHAM

When Itchy was given the opportunity to visit the city of Birmingham for a short break, we’ve got to admit that we weren’t immediately bowled over with excitement….STOP PRESS! Itchy has a confession to make: Birmingham surpassed our expectations. We must eat our words: Birmingham was great.”

Frommers online

HOW TO TIME TRAVEL WITH THE FAMILY, SASHCA SEGAN

We were looking for time travel…in four days we went princess, dragon, Victorian, steampunk and timelord…All this came within a quick jaunt of Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city and an up-and-coming tourist destination. Birmingham is close enough to London for a day trip, but far enough away that prices are much lower, and people much, much, friendlier.”

i (the paper for today)

NEW YORKERS BEAT A PATH TO BIRMINGHAM (B1, NOT ALABAMA), ROB HASTINGS

How do you fancy strolling around Vienna, sunning yourself in the Maldives or taking a rocket trip into space? You’d be better off visiting a curry house in Birmingham, according to The New York Times, which has named Britain’s second city one of its top holiday destinations thanks to its dining scene.”